There Voices Reside
by SammieCSIMiami
Summary: Horatio wonders about one of the worst and puzzling cases he has ever come across, at the center a fifteen year old girl who has been though hell, and around her they discover a horrifying truth. FINNISHED!
1. Chapter 1

-1Their Voices Reside.

Chapter One:

Her eyes were red and puffy as she blinked away tears that had been building.

"Honey, tell us what happened, " he asked her, removing his sunglasses. He waited for a reply then sighed. "We can't help you unless you tell us." he added softly.

"I was walking home from school with my sister." she said slowly looking at the table.

"It was cold…the leaves were falling off the trees and they were all shrived up and yellow, as you walked on them they crunched under your feet and turned to dust. The smog was pretty bad that day because it was foggy too, and the fog hadn't lifted all day. My sister and I were walking along the Clyde-Forth canal. We were talking about my chemistry teacher who was a right dick…he gave me detention for failing my chemistry test. I only got ten per cent but chemistry I just find really hard but he said I should study more and I was to go to supported study at lunch time but I didn't want to go because we go in to town for lunch to McDonalds."

"Where is the Clyde-Forth Canal?" he asked her slightly confused.

"Glasgow…" she said…the interviewer showed no reply. "Scotland."

"Scotland? So how did you get from Scotland to Miami?"

"..We were walking along the canal. There was a cold wind coming up it as per usual…my mum said the cold wind even on a sunny summers day was a bad omen and the canal had bad vibes. I had straightened my hair that morning so it was all over the place. I was wearing my lucky chucks that I had saved up for from the money I got at my job…they always gave me into trouble for wearing them at school but I didn't care they were my shoes. I had my favourite wrist bands on as well. The one on my left arm was back and purple striped and the other was black with a red rose on it. We were just coming up to the bridge that connects the Science Centre to the Exhibition Centre on the other side of the canal."

"Why were you walking along the canal?"

"My sister had lost her train pass and our mum told us that if she lost it she can walk home…I didn't want her to walk home on her own." she said quietly.

"Then what happened?"

"A car pulled up to us at the car park. There was a man…he got out and asked for directions to the city centre. He was really tall. Like taller than six foot…my best friend at schools six foot four, and he was about the same height as her. I had to look up to make eye contact with him. His eyes were blue…like greyish blue and cold….they were so cold they scared me! I heard my sister screaming as he pulled out a gun….then there was four of them…they were all over the place…and someone one hit me right tin the stomach…it really hurt because I got whacked there by a bitch in my PE class the day before when were playing hockey. My sister was screaming at me to run but I couldn't, I couldn't leave her there on her own." she said tears flowing down her cheeks as she wiped them away with the sleeve of her jumper.

"I just wanted to run away…but they wouldn't let me. They kept hitting me and my sister was still screaming and crying and then she stopped…I though they'd killed her and then I passed out."

"What's your sinters name?"

"Ria."

"And your is Samantha right." he stated.

"Yeah…but everyone calls me Sammie…Samantha's a posh name. People from where I am aren't posh."

"So what is it like where you live?"

"I live in a one of six blocks of flats. Right up the top at the tenth floor. The lift was always broken and if it was working you didn't want to go in there anyway. All the junkies used it to get themselves high and it always smelt of piss. There was just me, Ria and our mum who was always working. We were going to be moving out the flat two days after they took me…we were moving to a better part of Glasgow nearer my school so we didn't have to travel so far and we would have a garden and a room each, and if you tried to make your door step look nice with potted flowers the Neds wouldn't steal them and throw them off the balconies."

"So Sammie how did you get from Scotland to Miami? it's a long way from home."

"I woke up in a container…one of those metal ones with the big doors. I was on a boat I knew that much."

"How did you know you were on a boat?"

"The way we were moving I always get sick on boats and I felt really bad…the thing was rocking and I could feel the motion below me." she said her breath catching in her chest as she tried not to let anymore tears get the better of her.

"I think we should have a break…do you want a soda?" he asked.

"No thank you…can I have some water please?" she asked her voice shaking, quiet and polite.

"Sure..I'll get you one just know.

"What's your name?" Samantha asked suddenly.

"Horatio." he replied smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

He entered the room holding a glass of water. Samantha had her head on the table as she fiddled with the end of her sleeves which were soggy from her tears. She felt ill from the heat as the mid day sun beat down on Miami like it was in an oven. She remembered Scotland well. Rain, sheep and hills. That was it! She desperately wanted to go back home but here, here she was safe! There were people here who would protect her. Horatio placed the glass on the table and sat back down as Samantha collected her thoughts and began to get ready to tell the rest of her story.

"So you were on a boat."

"Yeah…a smelly one at that." Samantha started. "It smelt real bad"

"What else apart from it smelling bad?"

"It was cold and damp and….and…dark. I don't like the dark."

"Why do you not like the dark?" he asked. His instinct told him to be careful and not press to far…His heart sank here in the room was a fifteen year old girl…taken away from her home and forced out on to the streets by sick perverts, abused, beaten. He was emotionally distraught at this case, no kid should go though anything like this. Samantha never answer his question. "Samantha why do you not like the dark?"

"My brother used to lock me in the kitchen cupboard while him and his friends got stoned out there cunt in the house."

He watched Samantha closely, she was small, too small, her face pail form months of being kept in doors deprived of sunlight. Her messy short black hair was in her face covering her dull green eyes. She held her arms around her body, hugging herself. She was underweight for her height and age, the was apparent and withdrawn. He made a mental note to call down the physiatrist after they were finished.

"Do you remember what date it was you were taken?"

"It was November the tenth."

"How do you know that."

"The night before my sister and I went to the Taste Of Chaos tour."

"Who are Taste Of Chaos?" Horatio asked thinking it was a band.

"It's a bunch of Emo bands that were touring together." she explained.

"So it was a tour and not a band?"

"Yeah" Samantha said smiling.

"Do you know what today's date is?" Horatio asked

"No…" Samantha said trailing off…she had no idea.

"Its February the 18th." He stated. "Five months you've been held captive for." Samantha sat there shocked.

"Five months…I've missed my mums birthday." Samantha said with another wave of tears flowing down her cheeks. Horatio sighed sadly…this was going to be tough.

"Some ones stolen five months of your life Samantha. You need to tell me everything and not leave anything out this time. Now tell me who it was who abducted you."

"I don't know." Samantha said quietly.

"Yes you do." Horatio said calm but firmly…reminding himself to tread softly or she wouldn't talk at all. He could tell she was hiding something.

"I don't know who it was!" Samantha cried distressed, as tears flowed down her cheek, obviously scared.

"Samantha we can't catch them unless you tell us who it was."

"I don't know who it was!"

"Your lying to me Samantha."

"I cant tell you." Samantha answered quietly. Bulls eye, result!

"So you do know."

"They'll kill me…" she chocked out as her breath hitched.

"They can't get you here Samantha. You're here with us your safe. No ones going to hurt you anymore. I will make sure about it." Horatio said encouraging her to tell him. To be honest they had nothing to go on with this case. She was found unconscious during a drugs raid on the house when they found what was going on. Three bodies of teenage girls found in the house along side, each abused beyond life. "Samantha you're the only one who can stop all this,"

"My brothers friend." Samantha snapped.

Horatio froze for a second in shock.

"Your brothers friend?"

"Yeah…"

"My mum chucked my brother out the house a year before that after she caught him down the lift shooting up smack, Me and Ria though he should go in to rehab and we should help him but mum was having none of it he had lifted three grand out her bank and told her the flat has been broken in to and her card nicked…total lies of course."

"So what was your brother mates name?"

"Peter Wendiz"

Horatio said nothing…he'd heard the name before.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Horatio sighed and watched the child in front of him. He watched the tears tumble down her cheeks clumsily and in a haphazard fashion.

"Please don't let them get me." Samantha begged, her voice shock. She was frightened for her life. Her eyes sparkled in the bright sunlight, only from the tears that fell.

"Samantha there not going to get you." No matter how many times Horatio said these words they always left him worried. He'd said this to so many people. So many times…so many times he couldn't keep them safe. He couldn't help but wonder…would this kid end up going the same way, would she end up on Alexx's morgue table?

"Pete's dangerous…He was in sixth year when I went in to first year…he was a prefect, if you look at him the wrong way he'd fly of the wall…the man is psychotic!" Samantha explained. "The man is off his fucking nut! You know what would happen if he found out I was here!" Horatio never answer and simply gave Samantha a blank look. "He'd bomb the building off the fucking radar. He would actually level this place, you know that?" Samantha asked searching for a acknowledgement. "The man is a freak!"

"Are you frightened of him?" Samantha looked at Horatio dumbstruck for a moment then blinked.

"Am I frightened of him?" she repeated. "Of course I am fucking frightened of him. Any one who wasn't either had a death wish or need locked up and sectioned under the mental heath act for their own safety!" Samantha cried at Horatio's stupid question. "You know how many of my friends I watched him kill...you know when a girl was too old…when the customers got bored of you…he'd have his fun…then bang…just like that he blew there brains out one by one. We all knew it was coming to us. So we acted sweet and innocent. We played the way they wanted us to. Saffron. She was sixteen when Pete killed her. She looked older than she was…too old for the customers likening so he blew her brains out…and that was it. Then you know what they did. They went out and kidnapped another girl to replace her. They like them young you catch my drift."

"So this was all planed then?"

"Planed? Jesus Christ! It was like a fucking military operation! We were neither seen nor heard…we didn't leave the building. Man half of the girls couldn't speak English!" Samantha explained. "When we arrived here…I don't know how long it took us. I don't remember much of the journey…they kept knocking me out with fucking sleeping pills and then I woke up in Miami. We were all brought in illegally. I mean I know how much shit they could get in to for that! How much shit my brother could be in!"

"Hold on a second." Horatio said cutting in. "Your brother…what about your brother."

"All I know is Pete said to me. 'Your going to repay your brother debt'"

"So your brother was in debt to this man?"

"Yeah. He'd been bumming drugs off him for ages."

"So he owed this guy a lot of money." he stated, repeating the fact as he leaned forward.

"Yeah…I mean a shit load of money. Pete wasn't a bad guy un till he got messed up in drugs."

"Can you elaborate more on this?"

"He was very protective of people he knew. My brother and him were very close after our parents split up. Mum chucked dad out the house and my brother flew off the wall…taking Pete with him. Pete got mixed up in things he shoulder's have had! He was a good guy...un till some twat offered him five grand in cash to take drugs from where ever the hell it was to here in Miami…Pete being Pete managed to get fucking caught…jailed…and ended up staying illegally doing other peoples dirty work."

"How do you know about all this then?"

"Like I say to my mum when she's talking about me to her friends 'The walls have ears you know'"

"So you over heard it?"

"Yeah…all my life people think I'm invisible. People forget I'm here. Comes in handy sometimes though." Horatio looked at the floor and sighed.

"Do you want something to eat?" He asked her.

"No thanks."

"Right I'll be back in a moment then." Horatio got up, walking out the room he looked around and spotted Delko. "Delko?"

"Yeah H."

"I need you to run a search on this man Pete Wendiz. Everything you can find out ok."

"Sure" he replied taking the paper out and walking along to his office.

"You know where Speed is?" he asked before Delko was out of

"Yup trace lab."

"Thanks Delko." walking along to the trace lab he spotted Speed . "Speed I need to contact the girls parents and the Scottish police. Let them know we found her and tell them Interpol says we have jurisdiction! Then call her mother and let her know she's safe."

"Right on it H."

Speed picked up the sheet of paper and smiled. For once delivering good news. Picking up the phone he dialled the police number first after several minutes of being put on hold he finally reached the right person.

"Hello. D.C.I Way how may I help?"

"Hi I'm Tim Speedle from the Miami-Dade Crime Labs…I'm calling about the missing persons case regarding a Miss Samantha Le Sommer"

"Yes I was the officer in charge of the case."

"Samantha was found in a house in Miami during a drugs and is currently a witness in a murder. Interpol has granted us jurisdiction so."

"You need the case notes then?" the Scottish man cut him off.

"Yeah…it would help us a lot."

"Okay. I'll fax them over right now." and with that Speedle hung up after reeling off the fax number the customary pleasantries, only to dial another number. He listened to the Scottish dial tone and the double pulse with the silence then the double pulse again. On the fifth ring a woman answered.

"Hello?"

"Please may I speak with Miss Heather Le Sommer?"

"Speaking." the reply came, slightly nervously.

"My name is Tim Speedle I'm calling from the Miami-Date Police…your daughter was found last night, Alive and well." There was silence on the end of the phone. "Miss."

"Yes…you …found my Sammie."

"Yes." Speedle heard her sniff on the other side of the line, he could tell she was crying. "Samantha is a witness in an ongoing case here in Miami."

"But she is safe with you isn't she?"

"Yes."

"Then as long as she's willing to help I don't mind how long she is there for…as long as I know she is safe."

"Now If you have any questions you can phone me or the officer in charge Lieutenant Horatio Caine on 011-445-550-596"

"Thank you thank you." she said though tears.

"No bother ma'am." After reassuring the woman her daughter was safe and collecting the faxes from the Scottish police force he set out on his mission to find Horatio, he stumbled upon him in the corridor talking to Delko.

"The guy was arrested four years ago for drug smuggling from Cuba to here."

"Great, you find out anything else?"

"Yeah, that the guy is dead." There was silence,

"How?"

"According to his file, a gang land shooting…his body was meant to have been dumped in the ocean but its never been found." Delko explained.

"Yes well, people fake deaths. Not the first time we've come across it." Horatio explained, his hand on his hip, its usual resting spot. Speed simply handed him the manila folder.

"Called the Scot's, they faxed us a copy of the case file…transcripts and everything. Called the mother as well."

"How did she react."

"I think she went in to shock and couldn't quite believe it." Speed answered.

"What are we going to do with the kid?" Delko asked out of curiosity. There was a moments silence as Horatio looked at the floor thinking.

"Protective custody?" Suggested Speed shrugging his shoulders.

"You read my mind Speed." Horatio said walking back to the interview room, where he found the teen head down on the table fast asleep, he smiled to himself and cursed that he had to wake her up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

_She could feel the cold feeling rising up her waist again, she suppressed a whimper as he kissed her fine white skin, too pure for something like this. She forced her self not to cry out and let the inevitable happen. Her eyes looked back at her, bright from the mirror, as more tears silently rolled down her cheeks, splashing on the cold hard concrete floor below her, leaving a small round patch of moisture. She held her self in her arms as she sunk on to her knees. The yelling outside became greater as the door few open and a hand grabbed her by the hair._

"_You better not have told them were fucking here you little snitch!" He snapped at her._

"_I swear I didn't!" Samantha cried in reply as she felt her hair twisted._

"_If I find out to was you I swear to god you wont live to regret it!" Samantha felt the impact of a singing punch across her face as she was haled to her feet, "Move you little slut." Samantha did as she was told. Dumped in the next room she gasped in horror…the body's of her friends. The only friends she had here, lying, The blood surrounded them, no way for them to die. The concrete was hard under her as she hit the floor head first, her vision swam as the voices outside grew louder. The door slammed as she tried to grasp on to conciseness, gunshots, more yelling, growing closer. She knew who they were…the voices shouting along the corridor as they cleared each room. She waited for her turn to be found. _

_The door opened again, they assessed the room, she felt hands on her._

"_We have one casualty!" the man yelled, and with it she let the blackness overcome her, she was safe._

Horatio week the young teen gently, she woke up , squinting her eyes to the sunlight.

"What the hell is with Miami…why is it so bright." she moaned quietly.

"Guess were just blessed with sun." Horatio chuckled.

"Oh stop rubbing it in." Samantha commented. "You should spend a week in Scotland during the winter. That you'll sort you out."

"No thanks couldn't stand the cold."

"I can't stand this heat."

"Its pretty nippy in here actually. You sure your not cold?"

"It's too hot in here." Samantha stated as she rubbed her eyes.

"I need to ask you this…when was the last time you saw Pete?"

"..ummm…about two or three days before the raid."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Samantha stated flatly.

"Samantha. He's dead."

"When did he die?"

"Last month." Horatio replied coldly. For some strange reason he wasn't completely sure about this girl.

"No because I saw him after that." Samantha said stern faced and aggressive.

"What are you not telling me."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you lying to me again?" Horatio said, his voice stern.

"No…I am not lying to you!" Samantha replied sternly.

"You know how long you can do for Falsification?"

"Is that an accusation?" Samantha said in disbelief.

"You never know."

"In that case I want a lawyer. I am not saying another word to you with out one." Samantha said, she knew her rights, she sat back and folded her arms. Horatio stared blankly at her for a few moments. "Don't look at me that way…I'm in US soil…you can't deny me a lawyer…the state has to provide one for me…Plus I'm not under arrest am I?

Horatio simply closed the manila folder and sighed.

"No your not under arrest, and your right.." and with that he walked out agitated.

"Hey Horatio?"

"Oh, hello Calleigh."

"What's wrong?" She asked cocking her head to the side to look at Horatio.

"Something is not adding up."

"The abduction case?"

"Yeah its just…something doesn't feel right."

"You know Horatio, your guts always been right." Calleigh said to him smiling.

"Yeah."

It wasn't long before there was the unmistakable presence of a lawyer marching up the hallway and in to the interview room.

"I'm Johnny Cochran, I will be your lawyer."

"Hey, thanks."

"Your welcome now tell me everything." he said smiling. Samantha explained everything to him, her story, the accusations from

"So there trying to say your lying."

"Yeah basically!"

"Ok…from now on you will not speak to any of them until I am here with you ok?"

"Yeah…what are they going to do with me?" Samantha asked, frightened of the answer.

"Most likely they will place you in protective custody with social services…I've requested that they don't interview you anymore until the morning ok." he instructed her.

"Ok."

After talking there plans over Cochran left and came face to face with a formidable Horatio Caine.

"you are not to talk to my client until the morning. She need to rest."

"You're not in any position to be telling me what not to do."

"I have told you all ready. My client will not be spoken to until tomorrow morning and she will not talk to you unless I am there understand?" Cochran repeated. Horatio sloughed slightly and looked at him over his sunglasses.

"We'll see about that." he said calmly. There was a moments silence before Horatio made his way to the interview room.

He opened the door and looked at the child.

"Samantha, I need to talk to you some more. Would you be willing to talk to me without your lawyer present?" Horatio asked.

"No."

"C'mon Samantha we both know this is no way to find out the truth."

"I am telling the fucking truth! Only in this fucking country its guilty until proven innocent!"

"We both know that is not true,"

"Is it really? You know what…I was beaten, I was cut!" Samantha pulled her sleeves up and slammed her arms on the desk, revelling a pattern of cuts up both arms, four vertical, one across. The same pattern again and again and again. From new to old. "Fucking tally marks!" She yelled as tears splashed on to the table, with a horrified Horatio looking on.

"We are going to find the people who did this to you."

"And how are you going to do that? By accusing me of lying! You know I have been truthful with you because I trust you…then you accuse me of lying…because Pete being the fucking manipulating cunt that he is has everyone fooled."

"Mind your language."

"Don't tell me to mind my fucking language!" Samantha yelled, her voice full of rage. Horatio remained calm and stood up, pacing for a few minutes. Samantha had curled up her head on the desk, quietly sobbing. He then sat down in front of her and leaned towards her.

"Samantha I want to find these" Horatio struggled to find a word to describe them, "…malicious people them as much as you do and get them the punishment they deserve so you can rest easy." He looks into her eyes as his does and saw them marked with pain and anger, the vibrant emerald green eye's, dull. Samantha simply shook her head.

"No punishment will be enough for them…There's never been a point in my life where I have wanted to die. All the times my father hit me…all the times he hit my mother…though all the bullying I went though at school, there was never a time I wanted to die. Then I found myself waking up every morning and asking myself. 'why haven't they killed me yet. Why can't they just kill me? Why can't I just not wake up tomorrow?' I sat there every night wishing to die but I didn't. I hoped to die. Do you know what it feels like, for every second of your life to be filled with fear, to wonder whether tomorrow your going to wake up, not wanting to wake up to face another day?" Horatio never said anything but calmly watched. "I will never rest easy, because every time I close my eyes I see it all again…and I can't bare that thought. They took everything away from me. I can't do this anymore…" she said, in a almost whisper.

"Yes you can." Horatio said impassively, Samantha looked at him weekly and sighed she placed her forehead on the cool table and ruffled her boyish jet black hair. "You can do it Samantha because I will be here helping ok." Samantha nervously nodded. "Now you look hungry, how about I get you something to eat then well talk some more." Samantha nodded again in reply. "Ok, I'll be back in a minute."

Horatio walked out the room and headed straight for the lab, finding Delko and Calleigh discussing a case.

"Calleigh, I need every single sample that you got from the scene , run them then run them again." He instructed.

"Horatio I'm up to my eyeballs as it is." Calleigh protested,

"Forget them, the abduction case takes priority, Delko pull Pete Wendiz file, everything you can find out about him ok."

"Why?" Delko questioned,

"Because the man is not dead."

"I'm on it."

"oh and Speed," Horatio said with out turning around to see him enter the lab. "Do me a favour and jump along to the food court and grab the kid a sandwich and I'll be in my office, come and get me when you get back with it."

Sitting in his office he leaned back in his chair he looked at the evidence in front of him, reports lay sprawled out across the desk, picking them up sheet by sheet he looked at them carefully.

"_Strathclyde Police Department:_

_Case Number: 097684573hbg45_

_Transcript_

_Present:_

_D.C.I Jonathan Way,_

_D.C.I April McKenzie_

_And_

_Mr. Marcus Le Sommer._

_D.C.I Way: Where is your sister?_

_Marcus Le Sommer: I don't know!_

_D.C.I Way: Did you get angry with her? Hit her a few times to many? Was she going to grass you up to your mother?_

_Marcus Le Sommer: NO! Are you saying I killed my sister?_

_D.C.I Way: Is that a confession_

_Marcus Le Sommer: NO!"_

They were all pretty much the same. He felt the sadness when he knew the case had gone cold, all he could do is wait for the lab results to come back, he sat for a few more minutes absorbed in though before a knock on the door.

"Got her a chicken salad." Delko said smiling. "And a diet coke." Horatio simply nodded and looked up a Delko.

"Why would you abduct a kid, bring her all the way to Miami, just to sell her out every night?"

There was silence.

"Maybe…because this would be totally alien. They would be to afraid to try and run…they wouldn't know anyone here, they wouldn't know there way about." Delko said, voicing his thoughts. There was another moments silence.

"I think your right."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Walking back in to the Interview room, Horatio sat the sandwich down in front of Samantha, who looked up and smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"Thank Delko later, who got it for you." Horatio said and sat down as Samantha began to eat.

"So tell me a little more about your self then?" Horatio asked.

"Well…" she began. "I was born in Glasgow, I lived in Glasgow, I went to school in Glasgow. Not much really."

"What about your friends in school?" Horatio asked curiously.

"Haha. Yeah Lisa was hilarious, she could never take anything seriously. She always joked about stuff. One time in chemistry…we were …making Esters. We were mixing ethanoic acid with ethanol and a few drops of sulphuric acid and by the process of elimination of water you get an ester…that smells really sweet."

"Yeah. I remember doing those." Horatio laughed.

"Yeah, well Lisa being Lisa doesn't listen to the teacher. After being told several times by the teacher, 'don't under any circumstances use a bloody Bunsen burner', what does Lisa go and do? She lights the dam thing up right under the test tube and bam, she blew the bloody lab up. The teacher was pissed off big time. Lisa got three weeks of detention and found it hilarious. She just sat and laughed the whole way though it. The girl is mental I tell you. One time at a gig she went totally ape over the singer and started screaming, going all girl on me and fainted when he looked at her." she said with a smile on her face. Her eye's lit up and she chuckled to herself quietly.

"She sounds crazy."

"Yeah she is, but she's the coolest person in the world."

"She sounds it." Horatio said smiling, Samantha picked up the pen that had been lying on the table and began to doodle on the back of her hand. Horatio smiled and slid a sheep of bank paper across the table to her.

"Draw on that and not your hand, you'll give yourself ink poisoning." with that there was a knock on the door. Horatio turned around to he who it was.

"I think you need to see this," Delko said, waving a peace of paper.

"ok. I'm coming." Horatio smiled at Samantha, promising her he would be back. Walking out he looked at Delko cautiously. "What is it?"

"The prints on the window match Pete Wendiz and so do the prints on the gun that killed the two girls."

"So he was definitely there."

"Okay."

"Alexx wants to see you as well. She was looking for you."

"Thanks."

"Keep an eye on her will ya." Horatio said nodding towards the interview room. Delko nodded.

It wasn't long before the door opened again.

"Social services are here to pick you up," he said. Samantha looked up from the paper to see her lawyer leaning against the door frame.

"Does Horatio know?"

"Yes, he said its ok, c'mon now." Cochran said impatiently.

"Horatio said he would be back."

"We'll he's been held up he says thank you and that you are to leave," snapped Cochran, who was growing more impatient by the minute.

Samantha got a dodgy feeling about this but agreed. Leaving the paper on the table, she pocketed the pen. Walking through the lab she looked around trying to spot Horatio, to no avail. Instead she spotted something else. She discreetly slipped it of the counter and into her pocket. She prayed it wouldn't ring, but to her luck it was on silent. They walked though the front entrance out into the harsh hot and humid daylight of Miami. She fumbled with the pen, snapping it and shoved the sharpest edge of the pen into her hand until blood flowed as she placed her bleeding hand on the railing, leaving a trail. The car at sat in front of them and she felt her self roughly shoved in. She knew what was happening and it was too late.

"Hey Alexx, what you got?"Horatio asked when he walked into autopsy.

"Your two vics. Poor girls. First one, identified as Sheila Andrews from Bolton in England, aged fourteen. Reported missing on December 18th." Alexx informed Horatio as she pulled the body out the morgue fridge. " Blunt force trauma to the head killed her, most likely a punch. She's seriously under weight, deprived of all the major vitamins, a lack of calcium caused the bones lose density, making them brittle, breaking the skull where she was punched, and also preventing a pervious fracture healing properly." Alexx explained, pointing to an x-ray on the light box behind her. Showing the ulna and radius, the radius was broken and healed wrongly.

"What about the bullet?"

"Just to make sure I suppose. Through and through." Alexx said

"And the second?"

"Identified as Carol McBride from Fife in Scotland, aged fifteen, reported missing on October 5th," she said as she placed the first body in to the fridge and removed the second one. "She was shot through the shoulder. Bled out, apart from being the same as the other girl, underweight, deprived of the basic vitamins, signs of abuse," she said sighing, she looked at the young blond girl, she stroked her hair.

"What do you think the time of death was?" Horatio inquired.

"Three days, maybe four depending on the temperature of the room," Alexx said. Horatio was silent for a moment, lost in thought. She turned to the body and said, "Don't worry, honey. Horatio will find out who did this to you."

"Yes I will." Horatio agreed, "Thanks Alexx."

Horatio was met by a panicking Delko.

"What's wrong?" He asked Delko.

"The kids gone!" Delko said breathlessly.

"What?"

"She's vanished. She's not in the building."

"Pull all the CCTV for the front desk and outside." Horatio ordered as he ran outside, and was greeted with no sign of Samantha. He looked around, noticing a red smear down the railing. He smiled to himself. "Clever Samantha." he whispered out loud. Delko appeared at the door.

"H, got the CCTV tapes."

"Get your kit."

Delko obeyed his instructions as guilt ebbed at his stomach. Horatio removed his sun glasses and continued to survey the crime scene, observing every inch around him, whilst Delko collected the blood smear from the railing. He sighed as there was no other sign of her around. They had nothing to go on and no sign of the child. Going back inside, Horatio made his way to the audiovisual lab to look at the tape, which might hold some clue to where Samantha was. He watched the tape, rewinding it, watching, rewinding, when he spotted her. Walking right out the building. With none other than Jonnny Cochran. He froze the images, printing them off and observing them one more time. Watching the second one he found his place quickly. After several minutes of fluttering about with the tape he managed to get an image of the car, and the license plate. Immediately he placed an alert with dispatch.

He though for a minute before he began to run a background check. The results surprised him. Former defendants included none other than Pete Wendiz. No matter how discreetly someone handles money, there's always a paper trail, his gut told him there was. It took him a while, but he managed to pull financial records. A large deposit made, the day before. In cash.

Horatio picked up the stills and wandered around the labs for a while, trying to piece events together in his mind. He could see it playing through as he stood in the corridor. Jonnny Cochran, walking in to the room. A conversation. Samantha getting up, walking along the corridor with him, out the doors. She must have known something was up if she had left a trail…or maybe she hadn't, intentionally. Then. Something caught his eye. The sheet of paper Samantha had been doodling on. He entered the interview room and red the message on the paper, in-between what looked like song lyrics there was.

_Jonnny Cochran - 4.56pm - Social work._

Horatio smiled.

"Clever, clever girl," Horatio murmured. By then it was clear in her mind. She had been leaving clues.

-------

Samantha found herself, face to face with the cold end of a gun barrel.

"Let's go pay a little friend of yours a little visit. Shall we?" Cochran said with a broad grin. Samantha sighed as she felt the phone in her pocket. She slid it out, and un-flipped it in-between her seat and the car door, watching carefully as Cochran delivered instructions to the driver. Scrolling silently down the phone book she resisted the urge to smile. She hit dial…hoping to god it wasn't a pre-pay phone. "You've been a naughty girl you know." Cochran said to her smiling. "Pete's going to be very angry with you." he continued as Samantha let the phone slide gently down between the seat and the door, to come to rest snugly at the bottom of the door under the seat.

---------

"Horatio." he stated answering the call.

"Pete's going to be very angry with you," he hear a voice say.

"I hope he is," a second voice said, calmly, he recognised the voice instantly.

"I wouldn't be so calm if I were you. I wouldn't be calm knowing I will be on the other end of a bullet in short time."

Horatio shot out the door and in to the lab.

"Speed, track this call now! Get me on the radio." He said dumping his phone on the bench and heading for his car. It was only minutes later he heard Speeds voice.

"I got them…they're heading east, they're on First Street, cross street first avenue. "

"Thanks Speed." Horatio commented as he hit the gas.

"They've turned right on to Biscayne Boulevard, heading north."

"Right."

"They've turned right on to 8th street heading east," Speed informed.

"Yeah."

"There stationary at the top of 8th street at the American Airlines Arena. "

"Thanks Speed." Horatio said signalling he needed no further help. He prayed he made it in time.

--------

They came to a halt behind an arena. Samantha looked out the window, her heart in her mouth, nerves pulling at every atom of her body as she shivered nervously.

"Well, you not coming to say hello than?" said a sly voice as the door opened, the phone falling below the seat.

"To you? Not a chance!" Samantha spat venomously. His hand grabbed her dragging her up dragging her out the car and onto the harsh, hot ground.

"I don't appreciate people telling people things you know." His Scottish accent weakened. "You know I get angry when people open their big mouths, Samantha. I thought you would have learnt that," Pete said gently as he landed a kick in her abdomen, causing her to drop on the ground. Pete stood over her shaking his head and sighing. "I don't like grasses, Samantha," he spat, landing a kick for every word. Samantha struggled for air as another blow was landed. Coughing, she struggled to keep herself conscious.

"I hate when people don't listen to me, Samantha!" He yelled at her, his voice raising with every syllable, as he snatched the back of her top, hauling Samantha up on to her knees. She looked up and met the eyes of the dark haired Scot. Brown eyes stirred under the haze from the mid-afternoon sun.

"Why?" whispered the child.

"Why?"

"Why me? Why all this?" Samantha asked quietly, she was sure her voice was shaking despite her aim to cover her nerves.

"Why?" Pete laughed to himself quietly. "Because, big missy, your brother owes me a hundred grand for fucking up, and you were the payment. You paid your brothers' debit off, and now I have no use for you. I have no use for a grass, Samantha. School should have taught you something! You don't grass!" He snapped, striking her across the face. She wanted to break down in tears and cry right there but she bit them back and kept eye contact. "Why do you think everyone made fun of you? Because you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"

She began to pray.

"You always had to be miss goody-two-shoes, didn't you! Try to change the world, make it a better place. Here is your newsflash, Samantha. You can't change the way the world works. People like me, take advantage of people like you. It's the way the world works. Your just another statistic, lost in the system called life and in the end, Samantha, you will never be different because you are mine."

_Dear god, let them come soon._

"You will always be mine." He repeated.

_Let him come…_

"You had dreams of being a rock star, playing for people who are cheering you on."

_Please come…_

"They will never come true." He said as he raised his gun, spinning on the silencer.

_Please…_

He raised the gun.

_Please?_


	6. Chapter 6

Dedicated to Heather, Cathrine and QuarryQuest.

Chapter Six:

_Please come…where are you?_

She felt ill with nerves as she shuddered, suddenly feeling cold.

"You will never understand dearest Samantha."

_Why aren't you here?_

"Because you are just too innocent."

_Why me?_

"Marcus is sorry."

_I never hurt you._

"Marcus never though I was serious."

_It's not my fault._

"You can say hello to him for me when you see him."

_Marc? What did you do to Marc?_

"Say hello to your mother as well."

_Mum…don't touch my mum._

"What have you done to my mum?"

"She's gone. That's what happen when people grass. I have to punish them."

Raised the gun to her head, watching the tears break from her eyes.

"Just pull the trigger," she whispered. Pete looked at her, taken aback. Samantha looked at him with pleading eyes. "You've already killed me. Just pull the trigger and send me back to hell. I've had my fill of heaven." She whispered.

_Do it…pull the fucking trigger!_

"As you wish," Pete said, then there was the shot. It hit her in the shoulder as she dropped to the ground.

"You are a fucking waste of space!" He yelled, kicking her rib. She yelped in pain as she felt cold tears run down her cheeks and her hand came to rest, covered in blood on her shoulder.

Horatio pulled up around the corner. Stopping the car dead when he heard the gun shot. He noticed another marked car pulling up behind him. He got out the car and so did his counterpart.

"Heard it over the radio. Thought you might need some help," The blonde gun expert said smiling.

"Thanks, Calleigh. Let's go." They snuck round the back of the Arena, hiding from the view of the two men and the child, Horatio removed his sunglasses, assessing the situation. He watched the tall dark haired man tower over the child. He kicked her again and her yelp pulled at this heartstrings. He nodded to Calleigh.

"Miami Dade Police!" he called out. He pulled his gun out and aimed it, securing the safety of the immediate area. Calleigh saw and did the same as him, covering him.

"The fucking police!" Pete snapped at Samantha as he raised his gun at her.

"Don't do it!" Horatio yelled, He watched him deliver another kick to the child and cringed. Horatio heard Calleigh gasp quietly behind him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Cochrane yelled at Sammie

"I'm sorry." Samantha gasped as air was forced out her lungs by the kick.

"Sorry your fucking sorry! Take a good look at your saviors," he said as he shot in their direction. Horatio and Calleigh dived behind the pillars and nodded at each other. They returned fire then reverted back to their positions behind the stone pillars.

"I have the fucking kid. Shoot at me and I will blow her brains out." Pete yelled out as he dragged Samantha on to her knees in front of him, he placed the gun at her temple, he snatched her wrist violently and twisted it behind her back, causing her to cry out. Horatio, for a split second, caught Sammie's eye. In it reflected pain and even defeat. He knew he had to do something fast or this would all go down very badly. He thought quickly where he should shoot Pete, but he had moved Sammie in front of him as a shield. A human shield. Horatio closed his eyes and silently uttered a prayer. Opening it, for a split second, Pete moved Sammie to his side and Horatio saw his mark. He aimed his gun and shot Pete in the stomach. Pete dropped to the ground, writhing in pain as Calleigh and Horatio rushed to their sides. Calleigh kept her gun trained on him and warned him in a stern voice not to move.

Pete curled in pain and she yelled at him again, her finger on the trigger. Meanwhile, Horatio was kneeling down by Sammie, and he took out his handkerchief and pressed it to her wound on her shoulder. She responded by crying out in pain, and weekly batting trying to bat his hand away. His other hand reached for his cell phone to call for backup and medical assistance. After a quick look at Calleigh, who still had a death stare at Pete, he decided they were fine for know and turned him complete attention on Sammie. "Sammie, stay awake," he said gently to her as he felt her body tremble. She was quickly going in to shock as the white handkerchief turned a bright blood red.

Horatio prayed help would get here quick, the only way she was going to survive is if it did, the other option was unthinkable. Horatio looked at the blood around him, he knew she was fading fast, she blinked letting her eyes close.

"No, no, Sammie don't do that keep your eyes open ok, look at me." He said gently coaxing her awake. Her eyes fluttered open as her breathing slowed down. "Sammie, help is on the way ok." she nodded feebly acknowledging his instructions.

"I'm frightened."

"Of course you are, sweetie, but I'm here with you now and so is Calleigh. You're going to be just fine," he said, looking into her eyes. Horatio quickly shed his jacket and laid it gently atop of her because she had started shivering from the shock. The blood quickly soaked his jacked as her skin turned white. She closed her eyes letting her mind wander. "No, Sammie, what did I say, don't close your eyes."

"Let me go…" she whispered.

"Sammy, I'm not going to let you go that easy. Not without a fight. Now hang on!"

"Please…"

"Sammie, what did he do?" Horatio asked, frightened at the answer.

"Don't be guilty."

"Sammie, what's he done?"

"He killed my mum…and Marcus." She said to him, as a tear fell from her eye, it dropped behind her on the ground, mingling with the blood. "He said…it's what happens when some one tells on them." Her voice shock as another tear escaped. Horatio felt his heart break in two. "I've lost everyone…My mum, my brother and my sister." Tears fell on to the ground off the side of her cheek, the splattered onto the pool of blood below her. The sound of sirens reached there ears as Horatio breathed a sigh of relief. He felt himself shoved out the way as they began to get Samantha ready to be moved to the hospital. He felt a tug at his wrist and looked down to see Samantha had grabbed hold of his shirt sleeve. "Don't leave me." she pleaded with him, he could feel her hand trembling, her voice brought a lump to his throat.

"I wont. I'll be right behind you ok." He said to her, she let go and the paramedics began to move her.

He turned to Calleigh and Pete who was being attended to by another team of medics.

"Are you ok?" Calleigh asked a pale Horatio, lightly placing her hand on his arm. He was staring off at the leaving ambulance.

"Yeah. I will be after I know she's ok," he said, turning towards her with a fake smile on his face.

Calleigh shook her head.

"Wipe that fake smile off your face, handsome. I know you are torn inside."

"Yeah," he said softly, looking to the ground, trying not to let her see how badly he was torn inside. "Let's get to the hospital and be with her."

"I think that's a good idea," Calleigh said, putting her gun in her holster. Horatio looked back up to her, remembering something. "You did a good job, today, Cal. I owe you one." Calleigh nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind. You did a good job today too." They walked back to their cars to go meet Sammie at the hospital.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven.

Doctors and staff awaited her arrival at the hospital, everything seamed to pass her in a blur, the bright lights made her already sore head ach more as she began to black out. Her life sped past her like a bullet train. There's so much she wanted to do, be a rock star, change the world, make someone's life better, have children, get married, have a good life. She felt tears leave her eyes as a Nurse held her hand and reassured her., she could feel her chest began to tighten as her world closed in on her, darkness swept over her and her mind raced with questions as she began to fear the worst…

_I'm frightened of the dark…_

"**Injuries from Head to Toe, GSW to the right shoulder., suspected fracture of the 6th right rib, suspected fracture of the left wrist and major blood loss." the paramedic said as they moved along the corridor.**

_Blood loss…that cant be good…_

"**She's stopped breathing!"**

_Why Can't I breath…why cant I breath?_

"**Tube her." **

"**Blood pressured dropping!"**

"**She's gone in to V-Fib, get a crash trolley!" **

_Am I dieing?_

_He said he'd be here…_

_I don't want to die here all alone…_

_Not like this…_

_Not alone…_

_You said you wouldn't leave me alone…_

_You promised…_

Horatio pulled into the parking lot at the hospital with what felt like a dead weight in his stomach. He watched Calleigh pull into the parking space beside him.

"She will be ok Horatio." She said with a comforting hand on his back when they met.

"Yeah."

"**We have normal rhythm, page surgery and tell them were on our way up."**

_I woke up cold November, it takes a lot to show my face around here, I've only myself to blame. I tried not to lose, but I tried so hard to show to you, How long can I Waite here…_

Standing in the waiting room for news seamed to be like a never ending battle for Horatio and his emotions. HE could see the scene again and again as memories plagued him, How she had not wanted to let go, her tears, her plea.

_I tried not to lose,  
What I tried so hard to show to you…_

"Lieutenant Horatio Caine. " Called a doctor across the room,

"Yes, how is she."

"She's stable and in surgery, " She said to him with no emotion.

"Is she going to pull though?" He asked dreading a question,

"It's too early to say, its been a bumpy ride, there's been a few complications." her words made him freeze.

"Like what?"

"I'm afraid I can't.." Horatio cut her off and said harshly,

"She's a material witness in a murder investigation and now a subject in a attempted murder investigation, do I need to make it any more obvious." Horatio threatened.

"She's lost a lot of blood, she's haemorrhaging badly and in emergency surgery, we lost her in the trauma room for a few moments. We've had to place her on a Life Support Machine. I'm surprised its not worse, she's got a broken rib, she was lucky it didn't puncture her lung and a broken wrist."

"What's the chances?" Horatio asked as quietly.

"At the moment. It's not looking too good, but we should know more soon when she's out of surgery."

"Thank you." He turned round to Calleigh as she looked at him sympathetically.

"She'll pull through Horatio, she's a strong kid."

"Your right."

_How long, can I wait here?  
I'm wrote on by your words  
I'm broken, yet we're still burning  
Just hold on till the end._

He sat in the waiting room, each minute that passed with out news made his heart grow heavier. He sighed and looked up at the clock. The half hour had seamed like a lifetime. Neither of them had said anything.

"Poor kid, no one should go though this."

"I know Calleigh, that's why I'm putting him away for a long time."

_I crossed out all the stars  
To try to show that she was once amongst them  
I've only myself to blame.  
_

"You can't help but think can you?" Calleigh said to him sadly.

"Think what?"

"That anything can happy to anyone."

"Your right, yes it can." Horatio said sadly, staring at the ground.

_  
I tried not to lose,  
But I tried so hard to show to you. _

"Don't beat your self up about it. You saved her life." Calleigh said comforting him.

"Not yet."

"She will pull though Horatio."

"Yeah…I'm sure she will."  
_  
How long, can I wait here?  
I'm wrote on by your words _

It took hours to hear back from the doctor again.

"Samantha's just out of surgery…we had to close up early."

"Why?" Horatio asked, dread building up as he pocketed his hand to hid the fact nerves were taking over.

"Samantha's stats dropped during surgery she passed in to a coma." the nurse explained. "All I'm going to say is your case may well just be a murder one soon."

"Can we see her."

"Yeah."

_  
I'm broken, yet we're still burning  
Just hold on till the end_

Walking in to the room Calleigh hung close to Horatio who froze upon seeing Samantha, He felt his heart tear as he watched her, machines bleeped, keeping her alive. Her chest rose and fell in time with the breathing machine that kept oxygen in her body. The two IV's that ran out the back of her hand, replacing the blood she had lost and reliving the pain. Her skin was ghostly, chalk white. He remembered her words, her plea to let her die. He walked to her bedside and laid his hand on top of hers.

"I'm here like I promised." He said to her quietly.

_I didn't think you'd come…._

"You need to pull though Sammie, Were going to put him away for the rest of his life, but I need your help, I need you to pull though."

_Help me…Why can't I wake up?_

Callie laid her hand on top of Horatio's and looked at him, then Sammie.

"Sammie, I know you can here us. You can do it." She said simply.

_But I can't wake up!_

"You need to wake up."

_I WOULD IF I FUCKING COULD!_

_  
It's been a long time,  
It's been such a long time._

How long, can I wait here?  
I'm wrote on by your words  
I'm broken, yet we're still burning  
Just hold on till the end…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

It was dark by the time they left the hospital in with despair in there hearts.

"Horatio, you should go home and get some sleep, you look tired."

"I will, after…" the bleeping of his phone cut him off mid sentence. "Horatio."

"Hey its Speed. Cochran was picked up ten minutes ago. There bringing him in."

"Thanks Speed I'm on my way." He hung up and Calleigh looked at him inquisitively.

"Lets get back to the lab." and with that they left,

Horatio opened the door to the Interview room only to see the lawyer sitting handcuffed. He at down opposite and looked at him for a moment before speaking.

"So where are the other girls then?" Horatio asked calmly, but firmly. He wasn't messing anymore.

"If I tell you…I want a pardon."

"I can't guarantee you a pardon, but, I will let the courts know you cooperated fully." Horatio stated.

"..569 78th Street apartment C." Cochran said

"Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy your time in jail."

"Jail?"

"Yup. Abduction and Conspiracy to Commit Murder.." Horatio said as he walked out the door.

"Speed." Horatio called across the lad.

"Yeah H?"

"I need to you contact the Scottish Police again, get everything they have on Marcus and Heather Le Sommer. Tell them its related to the case."

"Will do."

I was only a matter of minutes before a team was storming the building, Horatio waited outside as one officer walked out a black haired girl, she trembled as she walked, Horatio walked up to her and kneeled to eye level.

"Ria?" he asked quietly, she nodded a nervous reply, "My names Horatio Caine, I'm from the crime lab…Is it ok if I talk to you?" she froze as her tears welled up, he could see it in her eyes, fear. "It's ok Ria, no ones going to hurt you. I promise,"

"okay.." she said in an almost whisper.

"I think we should go somewhere quieter, I'm sure you don't want to hang about here any more."

"Yeah." she said nodding, He looked at the kid, she was few years younger than her sister, same blue eyes, same hair. Then he though how was he meant to tell this girl, her sister was in a coma…how was he going to her that everything was going to be okay, when there was doubt in his own mind.

"Ok, your going to go with this officer to the hospital and I will be right behind you, okay?"

"Yeah."

AS the young girl was led away the rest of the team pulled up, ready for action.

"So what have we got?" Horatio asked one officer.

"Three dead bodies, all young females."

"Ok. Eric, Speed and Yelina take the scene, Calleigh come with me." Horatio said before walking away, with Calleigh in toe. "I need you to go to the hospital and document Ria's injuries…" He instructed her quietly. She nodded and walked over to the young girl.

"Hello there, I'm Calleigh, what's your name?"

"Ria…are you a police woman?"

"Yeah I am, Ria. That's a pretty name." Calleigh replied smiling, "How old are you?"

"Thirteen." Ria replied her voice, soft and quiet, her accent shone though, unlike her sister she was much more soft spoken and polite.

"Ok, Now I'm going to take you to the hospital and get you looked at."

"For what?" Asked the thirteen year old as the breeze blew her dark hair across her face, she was barely up to Calleighs elbows.

"To check that your ok, then well take some photographs of where they hurt you, is that okay?",

"I don't want my photo taken." Ria said, her voice harsh.

"It's very important you let me Ria, so we can catch the people who did this to you." Calleigh explained. She noticed Ria's eyes wonder away, turning around she saw two uniformed officers leading a male out the building. They stopped as Horatio addressed them.

"Found him hiding in the attack."

"Take him downtown." Horatio instructed, as she felt Ria throw her arms round her, she looked down to see the girl hysterically crying.

"Ria, what's wrong?" She asked the girl as she trembled, Her face pressed against Calleigh body as the tears soaked though her shirt. "Ria, did that man hurt you?" she asked her quietly, receiving only a nod. Calleigh lay her hand gently on Ria's head. "Ria, your safe okay, he's not going to hurt you." she said as Ria grasped hold of Calleigh tighter. "Ria…" Calleigh said rubbing her back, in an attempt to calm her down. Calleigh felt the presence of Horatio beside her. "Ria everything's going to be ok." Calleigh said gently.

"I want my mummy…I want my mummy." Ria cried as she looked up at Calleigh, her eyes red from tears, she looked from Calleigh to Horatio to Calleigh. " I want my mummy." Ria repeated, with a fresh wave of tears.

Calleigh looked at Horatio, he paused and looked at the girl, he kneeled down and looked sadly at her.

"Well talk about your mom later ok, but you need to go to the hospital first." Horatio said to her, he kept eye contact as her, the tears in her dark blue eyes reflected the lights from the cars around. It was dark and cold, He watched her for a few seconds. "You cold?" he asked her. She nodded again. "Ok, Calleigh is going to take you to the hospital ok, and she's going to take some photographs, then well have a little chat." She nodded again as Horatio nodded to Calleigh who held her hand out, she felt it instantly snapped up by Ria as she lead her way.

"Poor kid." Eric stated looking at Speed they began to process the scene as Alexx and her assistant moved the three young girls away.

"She must be terrified." Speed answered as he took multiple swabs from the blood pools. "I've got a foot print here." he said following them with the torch, across the room to the door. He photographed them.

It took only an hour and a half before Horatio, Calleigh and Ria were sat in the interview room.

"How are you?" Horatio asked Ria gently,

"Okay…" her voice trailed off as she held back tears.

"It's ok, we know what happened, your sister told us.", Ria's head snapped up, she looked Horatio dead in the eye.

"Sams alive?" she asked. Horatio looked down at the table then back to Ria.

"Yes, she's in hospital."

"Is she ok?"

"Ria, she's…she's very ill." Horatio said to her gently.

"but….she'll be ok wont she?"…Horatio didn't know how to tell her, how in Gods name was he meant to tell her that her sister was in a coma. He sighed and looked at her pleading eye with a heavy heart.

"Ria…Samantha's in a coma. We don't know what's going to happen." He said to her sadly, He watched her heart break.

"A coma…bloody hell." Ria whispered leaning back in the chair, looking at floor.

"Do you know Pete Wendiz?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah….he's the one that took us, and he is friends with my brother."

"okay, what do you remember?" Horatio asked her gently.

"We were walking home from school, because I lost my train pass and mum was really angry with me. Samantha decided to walk with me because she didn't want me walking alone in the dark and we were walking along the canal and Pete stopped and said he was lost…

"_Hey, Sammie, Ria you help me out I'm lost."_

"_Pete…how the fuck can you get lost you've lived here for twenty one years!" Samantha said laughing._

"_Don't fucking laugh bitch" he snapped striking her across the face._

…he started yelling at Sam and calling her nasty names….

"_What the hell is wrong with you Pete?" Ria asked confused as his friend rose out the car. Ria felt a hand across her mouth as she began to scream, it dragged her across the as she began to scream and kick her feet, she screamed louder as he twisted her wrist behind her back. She threw a kick blindly, hitting the man in the shin. As he yelped in pain, she felt pain then nothing._

…I asked Pete what was up and another dude got out the car and grabbed me, I started screaming and crying and I kicked him, he hit me then…I can't remember what happened next. "

"It's ok, your doing great." Horatio said smiling. "I will be back in just a moment, but Calleigh is going to stay here and talk to you ok." with a nod from Ria Horatio left the room, he found speed in the lab on the phone. He waited for the call to end, Speed looked up.

"Confirmed, the Scottish Police found Heather and Marcus Le Sommer dead in their home a few hours ago."

"Right, thanks Speed. Anything else?"

"Yeah the bullets match Pete's gun, fingerprints match him, all the evidence points to him. "

"Thanks Speed."

Horatio felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulder. The murders of Ria and Samantha's mother and brother were not his jurisdiction he hoped this would at least bring some sort of closure to them. Calling around he began to make inquires, after finding out their mother had made it clear in her will that if anything had happened to her the children were to be placed in the care of their aunt who lived in Los Angeles. After making the arrangements he went to see Alexx

"Hey." He said walking though the door. Alex looked up and smiled at him.

"Your three girls? Aleen Stephers, 14 from London England., bullet to the head, exicution style, same for the other two, Megan Kathlen, 16 from Aberdeen and Stephanie McDonald, 15 from Inverness, Scotland, all went missing on September 15th."

"Thanks Alexx."

It wasn't long before Horatio received the call saying Pete Wendiz was ready to be released into police custody. He walked in to the hospital room and came eye to eye with Pete Wendiz.

"The doctors say you're ready to go." Horatio said blankly to him. "Peter Wendiz, I'm placing you under arrest for the murders of Aleen Stephers, Megan Kathlen, Stephanie McDonald, Sheila Andrews and Carol McBride the abduction of Ria and Samantha Le Sommer and the attempted murder of Samantha Le Sommer. You have the right to remain silent, Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law, You have the right to have an attorney present now and at any future questioning, If you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you free of charge by the state if you wish." Horatio said to him as the accompanying officer cuffed him. "This time, your going to a place where you can never, ever do this again."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine.

With Pete safely under arrest Horatio and Calleigh took Ria to see her sister.

"Ria I have to warn you that Samantha's very ill, so don't expect much okay." Horatio warned. "Don't expect her to respond to anything you say, a comas like a very deep sleep, we don't know when she'll wake up but she can hear you."

"Okay." Ria said, she walked in to the room and stood by her sisters bed. She paused, looking at her sister. "Sam I'm here…I'm alive its ok."

_Ria….Ria?_

"I'm okay, I wonder will you wake up?"

_I want to wake up…._

"I won't be able to do it with out you. "

_Oh god Ria….don't even think about that!_

Do you remember that song we wrote…when I was being bullied?" She asked her sister with tears running down her cheeks. She watched the machines keeping her alive, the blood pouring in to her arm, Questions flew around her head. Kneeling on the floor beside her

_I remember…_

"Horatio do you think this is right?" Calleigh asked him as they stood in the corridor.

"Maybe its good Ria is here with her, give Sammie what she needs to wake up." Horatio explained. The door was open as Horatio leaned against the frame, Calleigh looked at him and smiled, as a voice singing reached them both.

"Well If you wanted honesty that's all you had to say, I never want to let you down or have you go, Its better of this way, for all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took, remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor, I'm not okay, I'm not okay, you wear me out."

_I remember this…you still know it all?_

"What will it take to show that its not the life it seams, I've told you time and time again you sing the words but don't know what it means, To be a joke and look another line with out a hook, I held you close as we both shook for the last time - take a good hard look, I'm not okay, I'm not okay."

_You'll be okay…._

"Forget about the dirty looks, photographs your boyfriend took You said you read me like a book but the pages are all torn and frayed, Now I'm okay, But you really need to listen to be because I'm not okay, I'm not oh - fucking - kay." Ria sang softly as she finished she felt a her sisters hand around hers…Ria's head snapped up towards the door, "She moved," she said to Horatio who instantly beckoned a nurse in to the room. The nurse gently picked up Samantha's hand.

"Honey…squeeze my hand." the nurse said…as soon as the words were her mouth Horatio watched Samantha's hand curial round the nurses, in seconds there were several doctors around Samantha's bed as Ria stood at the door between Horatio and Calleigh.

"She moved, Calleigh , she moved." Ria said with happiness in her voice.

"Yeah." Calleigh replied ruffling the child's hair. Ria looked up at her and stuck out a tong whilst flatting her hair. Horatio smiled and chuckled to himself. It was several minutes before they were allowed in to see Samantha.

"You okay?" Horatio asked her.

"yeah…I feel as though I have a permanent hangover." Samantha said smiling.

"Sam…" Ria said with a tear in her eye.

"C'mon, don't cry." Samantha said holding her arms open. Ria immediately flew in to them and hugged her sister. "We'll be able to go home soon and see mum!" Ria said bouncing. Horatio felt his heart sink.

"Ria…" Samantha started. She couldn't finish it.

"Ria, your mom and your brother were found this morning." Horatio said, Ria instantly knew. He had no reason to finish.

He watched her as she stood still in shock. Her eyes met his.

"No." she said quietly. As tears began, she looked at Calleigh who just hugged her.

"I'm sorry Honey." she said as the child wept.

"C'mon lets get you something to drink." Calleigh said taking Ria out the room, Leaving Horatio with Samantha.

"You sure your okay?" he asked her,

"Yeah, thank you. Thank you for finding my sister." she said to him.

"Its what I do."

"No, you didn't have to do anything Horatio. You didn't have to come and see me, I heard you and Calleigh. Thank you so much." she said to him. Horatio sat down and looked at her sadly.

"You know where going to have to go through what happened."

"Okay."

"First of all where did you get the cell?" He asked her. Samantha looked at him sheepishly.

"I swiped it off the desk outside the room in the lab." she said truthfully. "I don't know whose it was."

"I think it might have been Calleigh," he answered. Samantha made a mental note to apologise to Calleigh. She told Horatio everything how she snapped the pen and cut her self, the note. He smiled telling her she did great.

"Pete is in police custody. He wont be getting off with it Samantha." He said to her.

"How long do you think he's going to get."

"Let me put it this way, the only way he's getting out is in a body bag." Horatio told her. She sighed.

"Thank you, for everything." Samantha said again.

"Sammie, what have you got to thank me for?" Horatio asked confused.

"For saving my life…not listing to me and bringing me closure. You know, back at the…place…I was so frightened, when he pulled the trigger. I was so sure I was going to die, but you came…I didn't think you would. Then you came and I begged you to let me die…because I didn't want to go on. I thought I'd lost Ria…and Ria gives me a reason to be here, man she's my little sister. I'd do anything for my her, because she's my family. I wouldn't think twice about taking a bullet for her."

"That's what you do for family, anything." Horatio said sadly.

"So, just thank you…I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"Think nothing of it. " he said simply. "Now you rest. You're mother made it clear she wanted you placed in the care of your aunt if anything happened to her."

"Okay." Samantha said yawning. Horatio said his goodbye and walked outside to find Calleigh comforting a extremely distraught Ria.

It took a while for her to calm down. Ria stayed with social services until their aunt arrived. Then Samantha was released Two weeks later from hospital. She had made a full recovery and the case against Pete was made. It was time for them to leave Miami, for the mean time. Samantha stood on the top step outside the lab, the hot Miami wind in her hair, a arm round her sisters shoulder. She could here her aunt and Horatio talking about dates and random stuff. Ria and her aunt both said their good byes and waited in the car. Samantha turned to him and smiled.

"So what you going to do now?" He asked her.

"I don't know." Samantha said sighing. "Were going to fly over to Glasgow tomorrow for the funeral. Then back to California" Samantha said sadly.

"Take care of yourself." He said placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm tougher than I look." Her hair blew across her face in the wind, hiding the sadness in her eyes.

"Take care of yourself Horatio." she said to him, they locked eyes.

"We'll meet again, be it in this life or the next." He said shaking her hand. They both smiled as Samantha took a last look at the place that nearly killed her, but gave her new life.

The End.

Credits:

Author: Samantha Le Sommer

Co-Author: Heather Carls.

Beta: Heather Carls.

Muse: Heather Carls.

Advice. Heather and Siouxla Le Sommer

Dedications: To heather for all her help. To Cath, Quarryquest and Sammie my and my faithful readers.

Disclaimers: I do not own CSI Miami, The song used in Chapter Seven was Cross Out All The Stars by Fightstar. Check them out at  This story is purely based on my imagination it did not happen. The song used in chapter 9 is I'm Not Okay by My Chemical Romance.

All characters mentioned in this story that do not belong to CSI Miami copyright holders are purely fictional and any resemblance to anyone, dead or alive is purely coincidental.


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